FAQs

What are Creators In Residence?

Peckham Levels offers 10 of its studios at heavily discounted rates to offer opportunities for local people who otherwise might not be able to pay for membership. These studios are offered with 65% off the normal price, meaning they are all available for less than £110 per month. These members are offered 12 month residencies to experiment, learn and develop their business or creative practice. These subsidised spaces are reserved for local applicants. The Peckham Levels steering group, an advisory team made up of local representatives, helps assess applications and allocate space to those that need it most.

What is the Community Investment Scheme

The Community Investment Scheme is a pledge between Peckham Levels, its members and the wider local community. Through it, all of our members pledge a minimum of 1 hour of their time each week to take part in positive local projects. These include training, mentorship and charitable volunteering. The purpose of the scheme is to share the skills and energy of our members and our team to offer new opportunities to as many people in the local area as possible.

Who are the people behind Peckham Levels?

Peckham Levels is managed by a dedicated team, you can read more about them on our 'About' page. The project is delivered by Make Shift in partnership with Southwark Council. Make Shift is a South London based organisation that designs, builds and manages new public destinations that house communities of local, independent businesses. They previously created Pop Brixton, a community inspired workspace project in Brixton that has transformed a brown field site into a community destination that is now home to 55 local, independent businesses including food business, retailers, makers, creative start-ups and social enterprises. Find out more: www.makeshift.org

How are Southwark Council involved?

Peckham Levels is a response to an open call made by Southwark Council in 2015. The council was seeking a positive temporary use for the vacant levels inside the carpark and asked for proposals that could use the space to provide employment and support for the creative sector. Make Shift were selected, and have worked closely with the council on the project since then. The council have granted Peckham Levels its lease for the space in the carpark and does not charge a rent. Instead, the council will receive 25% of the project's profit once it breaks even. The council also holds an SLA (Service Agreement) with the Peckham Levels team, in which the project is committed to achieving its objectives of supporting employment, training and the local community.

Who designed Peckham Levels?

The concept for Peckham Levels was developed in partnership with Carl Turner Architects, who also designed the entire site. Find out more: www.ct-architects.co.uk

How long will Peckham Levels be in the carpark?

Peckham Levels is a temporary project, designed to make use of the underused space inside the carpark for the benefit of the local community. Our current lease extends for 6 years, and is due to expire in 2023.

How many studios are inside Peckham Levels?

Peckham Levels houses 50 studios. These include both single and double-sized studios. In total the studios provide space for more than 60 members, as some of the studios are shared. The average price of a single studio is £260 per month.

How can I join Peckham Levels?

Available spaces and membership options are advertised on our 'Become a Member' page. Please visit that page to see what membership opportunities are currently available.

How are members selected?

We had huge amounts of interest in our memberships, with nearly 300 applications for our 50 studio spaces. Applications were made online, and in person at drop in sessions and events around the local area. Applicants were invited to in-person meetings, before final decisions were made. In order to ensure these spaces were offered fairly and in the best interests of the community, applicants were scored based on a number of criteria including their locality to the project, their commitment to its ethos, a pledge for volunteering in the local community, their idea for using the space and their potential for growth.

Does Peckham Levels give priority to local people?

Yes. Locality is one of the key scoring criteria in our membership applications. All applications prioritise local people and we are committed that at least 70% of our members will be residents in the local borough of Southwark. In reality, 75% of our members live in Peckham itself, and 85% are from across Southwark.